Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Onto Clomid!
My progesterone levels came back at a 13.2 last cycle, so the doctor wanted us to try naturally for three more cycles before trying any medication. He did agree to another progesterone check this cycle, just to see what's going. I was supposed to call and schedule my blood work once I got a surge on my fertility monitor. Every morning, starting around 10 days after my period starts, I pee on a fertility stick and pop it into my fertility monitor. The fertility monitor gives you three possible readings- low, high, and peak. Once you get a high, you're considered fertile and once you surge, you will get a peak and will ovulate in the next day or two. I got over 15 days of highs this cycle, but never got a peak. This means I had another anovulatory cycle. A blessing in disguise because the doctor agreed to start Clomid next cycle! It's a sigh of relief and a step forward. I'm glad to have a plan that will hopefully get us pregnant soon.
So, Clomid is an ovulation inducing drug. Once my next period starts, I take it on cycle days 3-7. It should hopefully cause my to ovulate around cycle day 14-16. I'm supposed to continue using the fertility monitor and once I get a peak, schedule a progesterone check to make sure I did ovulate. If this doesn't work, then the doctor will up my dosage until it does cause me to ovulate. Some of the side effects are mood swings (poor Adam), hot flashes, blurry vision, and cramping. There is a 10% chance of twins with Clomid, but Adam and I have already discussed the possibility of twins and are open to it. We will accept whatever blessing is given to us!
So, onto Clomid! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers that this is what we need to get pregnant and start our family!
So, Clomid is an ovulation inducing drug. Once my next period starts, I take it on cycle days 3-7. It should hopefully cause my to ovulate around cycle day 14-16. I'm supposed to continue using the fertility monitor and once I get a peak, schedule a progesterone check to make sure I did ovulate. If this doesn't work, then the doctor will up my dosage until it does cause me to ovulate. Some of the side effects are mood swings (poor Adam), hot flashes, blurry vision, and cramping. There is a 10% chance of twins with Clomid, but Adam and I have already discussed the possibility of twins and are open to it. We will accept whatever blessing is given to us!
So, onto Clomid! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers that this is what we need to get pregnant and start our family!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Be careful with what you say
It seems once you get married, the famous question gets asked all the time - "When will you have kids?" Before I always had a response for it - "Once I've finished my master's degree, we'll think about it." Well, that time has come and go; I'll be finished with my master's this semester. Plus, we've been TTC (trying to conceive) for over a year now. Seeing as we haven't shared the fact that we're TTC with others yet, I don't know what to say anymore. Do I lie and say that we're not trying and don't have plans to in the near future? Do I say we are trying and have to deal with questions, some possibly too personal? I no longer know what to say, so I don't say anything at all.
So the reason for this post, Adam and I went to a birthday party the other night. It was mostly people who we haven't really seen since our wedding. We got the usual kids questions and tried to play them off. At one point, a party guest picked up his grandson, tapped me on the shoulder, and said "See- this is what you're missing out on." I know he meant nothing by it since he has no idea about the miscarriage or our infertility. But damn did that sting. I know what we're missing out on. I think about it every day- how old our angel baby would be right now, what milestones he/she would be reaching, the smiles that we would be getting right now, etc. I think about it all and I think about it all the time.
I didn't post this to make others feel bad. This person doesn't know that what he said is so hurtful. He doesn't know how badly we're hurting inside and it's because we haven't shared this with others. But that's my point - most people battling infertility don't share their feelings, especially at the beginning when there are still so many uncertainties. Be careful what you say to a young, married couple. A simple, harmless question or comment can be incredibly hurtful. We want to have kids, I want to make Adam a father, my mom a grandmother, my in-laws grandparents. I want to give my sisters and sister-in-law a niece or nephew and my niece and nephew a cousin. I wonder every day what's wrong with my body that we can't have kids. And comments and questions, as well intentioned as they may be hurt - and they hurt badly. So just be careful with what you say. You never know what's going on behind closed doors.
So the reason for this post, Adam and I went to a birthday party the other night. It was mostly people who we haven't really seen since our wedding. We got the usual kids questions and tried to play them off. At one point, a party guest picked up his grandson, tapped me on the shoulder, and said "See- this is what you're missing out on." I know he meant nothing by it since he has no idea about the miscarriage or our infertility. But damn did that sting. I know what we're missing out on. I think about it every day- how old our angel baby would be right now, what milestones he/she would be reaching, the smiles that we would be getting right now, etc. I think about it all and I think about it all the time.
I didn't post this to make others feel bad. This person doesn't know that what he said is so hurtful. He doesn't know how badly we're hurting inside and it's because we haven't shared this with others. But that's my point - most people battling infertility don't share their feelings, especially at the beginning when there are still so many uncertainties. Be careful what you say to a young, married couple. A simple, harmless question or comment can be incredibly hurtful. We want to have kids, I want to make Adam a father, my mom a grandmother, my in-laws grandparents. I want to give my sisters and sister-in-law a niece or nephew and my niece and nephew a cousin. I wonder every day what's wrong with my body that we can't have kids. And comments and questions, as well intentioned as they may be hurt - and they hurt badly. So just be careful with what you say. You never know what's going on behind closed doors.
